Commentary

This week’s ‘Review’ contains a remarkable statement from the Conservative councillor who is paid to be in charge of our roads and pavements: ‘Decisions on the highways repair programme are made by highways officers without any political input whatsoever.’

So what Cllr Stuart Pile for? He is paid £30,000 a year for this plum political job and yet claims to have no role in exercising its functions.

The cost of potholes: £30,000 a year for County Councillor Pile not to have an input

The truth, of course, is that he does have a role in all decisions exercised by the county council’s Environment Department. He may choose not to intervene. In the case of the surface dressing scandal he chose not to intervene and so chose not to say that the millions being wasted on unneeded surface dressing of rural roads should be spent instead on those rather obvious urban roads which are now falling to pieces. A decision not to take action is still a decision for which he must carry the can.

If he is not willing to intervene to ensure that our money is spent where it should be then he should step aside for someone who is.